Kansas City Mayor Sly James says the city has a lot of repair projects that he doesn't want to kick down the road, and he wouldn't rule out needing a tax increase to pay for it.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James says the city has a lot of repair projects that he doesn't want to kick down the road, and he wouldn't rule out needing a tax increase to pay for it.

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Updated: 6:22 PM CDT Mar 31, 2015

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WEBVTT SHOT HIMSELF AT HIS HOME. KANSAS CITIANS COULD SOON BE FACING A TAX INCREASE. LEN: MAYOR SLY JAMES SAYS IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO PAY FOR THE HUGE LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED FIXED IN TOWN. KMBC 9'S MICHEAL MAHONEY HAS THE STORY. MICHAEL: KASNAS CITY SPENDS $77 MILLION A YEAR TO FIX CRUMBLING CURBS PATCHING STREETS, OPERATING TRAFFIC LIGHTS, THE WHOLE WORKS. IN HIS STATE OF THE CITY SPEECH, MAYOR SLY JAMES SAYS THE CITY NEEDS TO SPEND ALMOST THREE TIMES THAT MUCH TO FIX THINGS UP, AND SOON. I REFUSE TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THAT ROAD AND LEAVE OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. MICHAEL: JAMES DID NOT SAY WHERE THE ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR MORE REPAIRS MIGHT COME, ADMITTING GETTING THE MORE REPAIR MONEY COULD END UP BEING A LONG SLOG. AND LATER, HE TOLD REPORTERS THAT MIGHT MEAN A TAX INCREASE. IT COULD. MICHAEL: COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? NOPE. BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOT TO THAT POINT YET. MICHAEL: IT COULD BE A TAX INCREASE? IT COULD BE. MICHAEL: THE MAYOR SAYS THAT DECISION IS MONTHS AWAY, PROBABLY WELL AFTER THE CITY ELECTIONS THIS SPRING. OTHERWISE, JAMES PAINTED AN UPBEAT PICTURE OF THE CITY. HE SAYS THE NEW STREETCAR LINE, A TWO-MILE ROUTE FROM THE RIVER MARKET TO UNION STATION WAS ALREADY DRAWING NEW BUSINESS TO THE AREA. IT'S SCHEDULE TO START UP IN THE FALL. HE CONCEDES SOME ARE GETTING TAX BREAKS TO BUILD THE AREA, BUT OTHERS ARE COMING ON THEIR OWN. HE SAYS THE NEW POLICE STATION AND THE CRIME LAB ON THE CITY'S EAST SIDE MAY BE THE START OF MORE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THAT PART OF TOWN, BUT IT HAS TO BEEN UNIFIED. WE ARE ONE CITY, AND WE CAN EITHER PULL EACH OTHER DOWN OR BUILD EACH OTHER UP. MICHAEL: SO THIS IS MAYOR JAMES, CLAIMING A VICTORY LAP AFTER FOUR YEARS IN OFFICE. MICHAEL MAHONEY, KMBC 9 NEWS. LARA: THE MAYOR ALSO REMINDED PEOPLE THE CITY'S EARNING TAX IS UP FOR RENEWAL NEXT YEAR. HE CALLED THE E-TAX KANSAS CITY'S LIFELINE, SINCE IT PROVIDES A BIG PART OF THE

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James warns tax hike might be needed to fund projects

Kansas City Mayor Sly James says the city has a lot of repair projects that he doesn't want to kick down the road, and he wouldn't rule out needing a tax increase to pay for it.